BLOCKBUSTER at galas in Japan awaits the winner of Saturday’s WBC and Ring Magazine super flyweight fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

Estrada returns to the ring in December 2022 after an epic trilogy victory over Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez that will see his belts on the line in Phoenix, Arizona.

There will be another pound-for-pound star on the plate who shares the 34-year-old’s desire to dominate the other 115-pound champions.

In recent years, boxing’s lower leagues have been largely dominated by Mexican and Japanese fighters.

These fighters – or killers as they are perhaps more aptly called – have shone a spotlight on traditionally less popular weight classes in the sport with their undeniable talent.

Powerhouse boxer and future star Naoya Inoue, who is currently the undisputed super bantamweight champion, has gained more interest in fights like this weekend’s with his electric performances.

The 31-year-old poked fun at the misconception that those fighting in the lighter divisions are “hard-hitting”, pulverizing champions who are themselves among boxing’s most elite.

But Inoue isn’t the only one who should be praised for bringing a novel perspective to the sub-135-pound fights.

His marketability in Japan has indeed exponentially increased the earning potential of fighters at and around the same weight, but there is also something to be said about Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka, two sensational super flyweight beltholders who, along with Estrada and Rodriguez, are looking to take first place in the division.

Kazuto Ioka (Naoki Fukuda)

Ioka emerged victorious when the pair faced each other in 2020, stopping Tanaka with a vicious attack in the eighth round.

The 35-year-old has since extended his unbeaten streak even further, while his former opponent has bounced back impressively, winning the WBO belt in his last fight.

Ioka now looks to unify the titles by defeating IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez on July 7. Less than two weeks later, Tanaka will also defend his belt in Japan.

With Japan quickly becoming a hotbed of lower-league talent, there is no doubt that either Estrada or Bam will soon have a career-defining fight – potentially for the undisputed crown – in one of the most successful boxing territories in the world.

For Estrada, the motivation is clear. On the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel – in a recent behind-the-scenes episode of “Make the Days Count” – the Mexican announced that he intends to stay in the sport for another four years.

Having consolidated his legacy after three brilliant wars with Chocolatito, Estrada is set to not only seal his greatness, but also prove his longevity by ending a nearly 20-year career.

Rodriguez, despite being ten years younger than his next opponent, is in a similar hurry to win accolades.

First, the American hopes to reclaim his former WBC title by returning to the Footprint Center, where he gained brilliance after defeating super flyweight veteran Carlos Cuadras in 2022.

Just a few months later, in what many described as a coming-of-age performance, Bam defended his belt with an eighth-round victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, one of the most fearsome operators in the division, before leaving his post and moving up to flyweight in pursuit of bigger silverware. .

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 16: Jesse Rodriguez (R) of the United States throws a right at Clear Edwards of Great Britain during their fight for the IBF and WBO flyweight world titles at Desert Diamond Arena on December 16, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona . (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It was at the end of last year, during the unification with the British Clear Edwards, that Rodriguez showed that he could offer more than just spectacular footwork and piercing combinations. He stood in the pocket, held his legs and put on a punishing, malicious display, forcing a stoppage in the ninth round corner.

With Bam now expressing his desire to face Inoue in the future, there is no incentive to pump up any breaks in his progress.

Rather, in preparation for his next assignment, he was forced to raise his level again; joint sparring rounds with Chocolatito – a spectacle before which most boxers can only dream of being a fly on the wall.

So while Estrada and Bam – two consummate professionals – will obviously remain focused on the task at hand, it may be complex for them to distract themselves from the booming boxing market in Japan, where the lower leagues of the sport continue to flourish. .

Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s proposed junior middleweight bout appears to be on track. with Serhii Bohachuk already has a date and place.

Ortiz and Bohachuk are expected to fight on August 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN’s Mike Coppinger was the first to announce the date and location.

On Monday night, a source confirmed to The Ring that the expected venue for the fight was Las Vegas.

Bohachuk emerged as a potential opponent for Ortiz after former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu withdrew from his Aug. 3 fight against Ortiz at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Doctors did not clear Tszyu for medical reasons because the hairline cut he suffered in his March 30 fight against Sebastian Fundora had not healed properly.

The fight between Ortiz and Bohachuk, who weighed 154 pounds according to The Ring, has been brewing for the past few weeks. In an interview with The Ring earlier this month, Tom Loeffler, who promotes Bohachuk, clarified that negotiations between the two sides are “ongoing,” correcting an article on Boxingscene.com that suggested the fight had already been signed.

“Just to be clear, I did an interview (June 6) about this fight,” Loeffler told The Ring on June 7. “I said that both fighters had agreed to fight each other but no terms had been agreed. They came to us when Tim Tszyu was (decided) that he was unable to run (August 3). They, Golden Boy and TGB (Promotions), contacted us and I said Serhii would take the fight. Serhii agreed. From what I understand, Golden Boy’s team and Vergil Ortiz’s team have agreed to fight. Both fighters, both fight camps, agreed, but no terms were agreed upon. It has not been confirmed that there will be anything on this show (August 3).

“I think it’s an amazing fight, no matter what event the fight ends at,” Loeffler said. “Both fighters owe all their victories to knockouts. So I don’t know how you can get a better matchup. Serhii is the WBC (junior middleweight) interim champion and Vergil holds the WBA gold title. This is a really great fight if there is a way we can make this fight happen.

Ortiz (21-0, 21 KO), based in Grand Prairie, Texas, has been promoted by Golden Boy Promotions since his professional debut in July 2016.

The 25-year-old last fought on April 27, defeating former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme in the first round. The 26-year-old Ortiz is managed by Rick Mirigian and trained by Robert Garcia.

Bohachuk (24-1, 23 knockouts), who currently lives and trains in Los Angeles, also fought at the same event on March 30 in Las Vegas, defeating Brian Mendoza by unanimous decision. Bohachuk has won his last six fights since suffering the only loss of his career at the hands of Brandon Adams in March 2021.

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Julio Cesar Martinez has reportedly been handed a nine-month ban for failing a drug test.

According to Ring Magazine, the 29-year-old Mexican tested positive for S5 diuretics and other masking agents in a test conducted after his majority victory over Angelino Cordova on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and was therefore banned. by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The same publication also reported that his suspension was backdated to March 30 and would run through at least December 29, that he was ordered to enroll in a random drug testing program and that he would be required to return immaculate samples throughout that period for the prohibition examination, that the result of this fight was changed to a no-contest and that he was fined $11,250 and ordered to pay costs of $157.04.

Martinez-Cordova was featured on Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora’s card and represented Martinez’s final defense of the WBC flyweight title, which he vacated in May.

He previously tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol during random drug tests supervised by the Immaculate Boxing WBC program. Nevertheless, it was subsequently cleared by the sanctioning authority on the basis that the findings led it to conclude that its test results were a consequence of the ongoing problem of meat contamination in Mexico.